Calibrating sensitivity and creating alternate modes.

[Danny]

First, create a game configuration for mouselook.

Once you are satisfied with your bindings the next step is to calibrate the sensitivity. Because each game uses its own "sensitivity" we can't use the same sensitivity settings for each game. Spin calibratiion is an action we use to help unify the sensitivities for the various modes for each game. This way mouselook, freelook and dual analog sensitivities will feel the same from game to game. If all the games are unified then adjusting the fps sensitivity slider will affect all games equally. This is better than trying to set the sensitivities to something that "feels" good for you ( the mce designer ).




<binding>
<conditions>
<button>
<controller>P1R</controller>
<which>2</which>
</button>
</conditions>
<actions>
<calibrate_spin_speed/>
</actions>
</binding>


How it works:
Create a mouselook mce then set up a calibrate_spin_speed action. When in game, look at an object then press the calibrate_spin_speed button binding and count 10 spins then release. The action will write to the console recommended senstivities for each mode when the calibration is complete. The sensitivities in game are also set so you can test it out. Don't forget to copy the settings down as it won't save the settings in the mce itself.

Now you should have sensitivities for mouselook, freelook, and dual analog. Add a new game to your mce by copying the mouselook game and pasting it below thr mouselook configuration and use game_mode to specify the mode.



<game_list>

<!--

Crysis 2 - MOUSELOOK

-->

<game>
<version>1.3</version>
<requires_schema_version>1.1</requires_schema_version>

<game_type>fps</game_type>
<game_mode>mouselook</game_mode>


<exe_name>Crysis2.exe</exe_name>
<full_name>Crysis 2 - Mouselook</full_name>
<controller_manager_mode>1P2C</controller_manager_mode>
...
</game>

<!--

Crysis 2 - FREELOOK

-->
<game>
<version>1.3</version>
<requires_schema_version>1.1</requires_schema_version>

<game_type>fps</game_type>
<game_mode>freelook</game_mode>


<exe_name>Crysis2.exe</exe_name>
<full_name>Crysis 2 - Freelook</full_name>
<controller_manager_mode>1P2C</controller_manager_mode>
...
</game>

</game_list>



Valid arguments for the game_mode are:
mouselook
freelook
dual_analog
hybrid
akimbo

For akimbo and hybrid, the freelook settings should work well that were calculated from calibrate_spin_speed, but you'll want to increase the freelook_deadzone to >= 10 degrees.

Next you will need to alter the mouse_pointer mode for each mode

valid modes are:
fps



<mouse_pointer>
<controller>P1R</controller>
<mode>fps</mode>
<sensitivity>0.75</sensitivity>
<vert_sensitivity_scale>1.25</vert_sensitivity_scale>
</mouse_pointer>


freelook



<mouse_pointer>
<controller>P1R</controller>
<mode>freelook</mode>
<sensitivity>0.55</sensitivity>
<vert_sensitivity_scale>1.25</vert_sensitivity_scale>
<freelook_max_speed>39</freelook_max_speed>
</mouse_pointer>


hybrid



<mouse_pointer>
<controller>P1R</controller>
<mode>two_controller</mode>
<sensitivity>0.83</sensitivity>
<freelook_max_speed>40</freelook_max_speed>
<freelook_dead_zone_radius>15</freelook_dead_zone_radius>
<freelook_max_angle>40</freelook_max_angle>
<freelook_exponent>1.5</freelook_exponent>
<freelook_vert_sensitivity_scale>0.0</freelook_vert_sensitivity_scale>
<vert_sensitivity_scale>1.5</vert_sensitivity_scale>
</mouse_pointer>


akimbo



<mouse_pointer>
<controller>P1R</controller>
<mode>hybrid</mode>
<sensitivity>0.83</sensitivity>
<freelook_max_speed>30</freelook_max_speed>
<freelook_dead_zone_radius>10</freelook_dead_zone_radius>
<freelook_max_angle>40</freelook_max_angle>
<freelook_exponent>1.5</freelook_exponent>
<freelook_vert_sensitivity_scale>1.0</freelook_vert_sensitivity_scale>
<vert_sensitivity_scale>1.5</vert_sensitivity_scale>
</mouse_pointer>


Dual analog is mouselook but you also add a joystick



<mouse_pointer>
<controller>P1R</controller>
<mode>fps</mode>
<sensitivity>0.55</sensitivity>
<vert_sensitivity_scale>1.25</vert_sensitivity_scale>
</mouse_pointer>


<joystick_config>
<name>Camera Movement</name>
<controller>P1R</controller>
<mode>mouse_move</mode>
<mouse_move_motion_multiplier>6.9</mouse_move_motion_multiplier>
<mouse_move_quick_turn_start>1.0</mouse_move_quick_turn_start>
</joystick_config>

[Quenaelin]

Why don't you write program which creates all these values and writes them to .mce file? There could be also spin-calibration-mode, where you can calibrate .mce script automatically inside game and program writes calibration values directly in to .mce file after calibration.

[Danny]

Each game has its own interpertation of mouse sensitivity. Any program we wrote would have no clue about that sensitivity setting in game nor would it know how to count ten spins.

This is a way of unifying the game's mouse settings for the Hydra so that each game feels the same.

[Quenaelin]

Actually I meant .mce automation program which automatically creates .mce files for users so they don't need to edit these files manually. I don't understand why users have to manually copy-paste spin-calibration values from development console to .mce file, when pressing one calibration button two times would be enough. Do you have any plans to make this calibration procedure automatic by software?

Configuring this controller should be made easier for beginners. There is too many tedious tasks before you can play any game which isn't supported, first you have to learn xml-syntax for .mce files and then keep track on five different modes and make sure you have copied all five same lines to every mode in to your file. After that you need to calibrate mouse so your sensitivity is about same in every game. Then figure out button mappings and which kind of motions you want to use in your game. You could spend hours and hours just writing down single .mce file for one single game, it isn't what I call fun, I would call it work. Could you atleast make spin-calibration and button mapping automatic, so you don't have to edit values manually, please.

[JesterKnot]

So, do we need to follow this procedure for a game that already has and mce?

[Danny]

@Quenaelin
If I wrote the values to the file you were working on, you'd lose all your undo's. This is a one step process and could/should be one of the final polishing touches.

@JesterKnot
The spin calibration is only necessary for the designer creating the mce game configurations. If mce game configuration designers follow these steps then their sensitivities will be unified for the various game modes. If so, the end user should be able to fine tune their settings using the sliders in the MotionCreator application.

[TiagoTiago]

Is there a way to slow down the speed of the calibration spin? With the default sensitivity values on APB:R it seems to spin way too fast for me to be able to count the turns with any accuracy...

[Danny]

No :(

If I made a way so you could test your current settings that might help, then you could really dial it in.

[TiagoTiago]

It already changes the sensitivity automaticly when i tell it the game made ten turns (temporarily), the issue is that in this game the automated spin is too fast with the default sensitivity for me to be able to count the turns. Perhaps you could add an optional parameter for the calibrate_spin_speed action to multiply/divide the default rate of the automated spin? (obviously this multiplier would need to be taken in consideration in the math used to calculate the suggested sensitivities)


Btw, does the cursor motion speed setting from Windows' Mouse control panel have any effect in the cursor motion produced by MotionCreator?

[Danny]

What I was suggesting was a way to fine tune the calibration spin test. The 10 spin test will get you in the ball park then you could test the current settings and adjust the speed up or down manually until you've got it accurate. But I could probably come up with what you are suggesting too.

No we don't use the Windows pointer settings with MotionCreator.

[Kiwii]

Is there a way to slow down the speed of the calibration spin? With the default sensitivity values on APB:R it seems to spin way too fast for me to be able to count the turns with any accuracy...

Let me know in case you manage to create a proper mce for APB:R as I would be interested in that, too. I just wanted to add hybrid to the mouselook APB mce, but the login servers are down, therefore I can not do the calibration. :/
I think there are some things missing in the default mouselook mce for APB; for example leaning left and right (which is q and e). And there was much jitter with that mouselook mce. Don't know if that is normal for mouselook as I normally play on hybrid or freeaim.

[Danny]

Ok, I've added a way to do half the speed when doing the spin calibration.

Will be in the next patch.

Edit: See below (http://sixense.com/forum/vbulletin/showthread.php?3481-Calibrating-sensitivity-and-creating-alternate-modes&p=11365&viewfull=1#post11365)

[TiagoTiago]

Wouldn't it be better to make it a float instead of a boolean just in case it turns out half is still too fast for some game?

[Danny]

Of course your right. Fixed and I am removing the example I provided earlier. Here is the correct example:



<binding>
<name>Spin Calibration</name>
<conditions>
<button>
<controller>P1R</controller>
<which>1</which>
</button>
</conditions>
<actions>
<calibrate_spin_speed>
<spin_mult>0.5</spin_mult>
</calibrate_spin_speed>
</actions>
</binding>

[TiagoTiago]

Cool, thanx!